Delhi Court Issues Bailable Warrants Against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee faces legal challenges as a Delhi court issues bailable warrants in a defamation case linked to a 2018 video.
Bailable warrants issued against Dhruv Rathee in a defamation case.
The case relates to a 2018 video alleging BJP's IT cell attempted to bribe for defamation.
Next court hearing scheduled for October 17, 2026.
A Delhi court has issued bailable warrants against popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in connection with a defamation case stemming from a video he posted in May 2018. According to reports, the video claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Information Technology cell attempted to bribe an individual to defame Rathee. This video gained traction after being shared by Arvind Kejriwal, the then Chief Minister of Delhi, on social media.
The complainant in this case, Vikas Sankrityayan, also known as Vikas Pandey, initiated legal proceedings against Rathee and Kejriwal due to the video's content and its subsequent circulation. On October 12, Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain from the Saket court ordered fresh summons to be issued to Rathee after the complainant's counsel indicated that previous attempts to serve him had been unsuccessful since the case began.
The court learned that Rathee had primarily resided abroad, which complicated the service of summons. However, it was noted that he was currently in India, residing in Gurugram, Haryana. The magistrate highlighted that Rathee had first been summoned back in July 2019, and the complainant had been persistent in trying to serve the summons.
In addition to this case, Rathee is also facing another defamation suit in the Saket court concerning a separate video. This video allegedly claimed that Lord Ram and Goddess Sita consumed meat and alcohol during their exile, which the complainants, identifying as Hindu devotees, argue has hurt their religious sentiments. They have requested an ex-parte ad-interim injunction to prevent Google from hosting or disseminating the video while the case is ongoing.
The next hearing for the defamation case against Rathee is set for October 17, 2026, as the court continues to navigate the complexities of these legal proceedings.
